


Zim's Feelings

by SpyroForLife



Series: PMaZR Hidden Identity fics [2]
Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Betrayal, Feelings, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-20 19:21:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21061865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpyroForLife/pseuds/SpyroForLife
Summary: Zim can't deny that he's in love with Professor Membrane. Professor Membrane doesn't know that he's actually been dating an alien, and his son's enemy at that, this entire time. But Zim decides he needs to tell the truth, no matter how much it hurts them both.





	1. Zim's Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a sequel to 'Human Intercourse', which is Explicit, but I would nonetheless recommend reading it first to get an idea of the established relationship between Zim and Membrane.

Usually Zim loved hanging out with Membrane and watching TV, but now he just couldn’t seem to focus. He was anxious, running over imaginary conversations in his mind, trying to figure out his feelings. Dib had gotten him thinking earlier. The boy had demanded to know why he was playing with Membrane’s feelings, to which Zim had thoughtlessly snapped that he wasn’t playing. And that realization had hit him like a sack of bricks. He wasn’t playing. It wasn’t about annoying Dib anymore. Hasn’t been for a long time.

He thought back to when he had first gotten intimate with Membrane, and afterward his partner had whispered that he loved him. And Zim had truthfully said he loved him too.

Even now, weeks later, the word kept swirling through his head. Love. He loved Membrane. It was something he’s never felt before; at least, not to this degree. He tried to crush feelings like this every time they rose, as they had no place in the heart of an Invader. But he didn’t want to crush this feeling. It was painful, but it was warm and powerful, making him feel so happy when he was with Membrane. He was serious about this relationship now. And he kept thinking about how Membrane deserved to know what he really was.

But Zim was conflicted. He didn’t want to keep living a lie, but what if Membrane was upset by the deceit? What if he left him? Or worse, turned out to be just like Dib and tried to dissect him for science?

Zim shuddered a bit, clutching Membrane’s arm.

Membrane gently took his hand, stroking his thumb along it. “Are you alright?”

“Fine, just uh… a little cold,” Zim said.

“Want me to turn up the heater?”

“Uh, I’ll be okay, just… lemme cuddle a bit.”

“Haha, okay.” Membrane wrapped his arm around him and pulled him closer, and Zim sighed, resting both arms around him.

It’ll be fine, Zim told himself firmly. Membrane cared deeply about him. He wouldn’t just turn on him if he told the truth… right? At the very least, he wouldn’t hurt him.

Zim buried his face into Membrane’s side, slowly inhaling. He mostly just smelled the fabric of his coat, the traces of chemicals and even smoke, but there was the barest hint of the other’s natural scent. It made him smile, comfort washing over him. This was his partner. His boyfriend… his mate.

He sat with him for a while as he got his thoughts together, but before he could say anything, Membrane yawned and stretched, before reaching to pick up the remote. “I think I’m going to read for a bit before bed. Would you like to join me?”

“Sure,” Zim replied, getting up.

“Alright, you can go on ahead, I’m going to take a quick shower.”

Zim nodded and walked to the bedroom. Membrane followed him, just to grab a change of clothes before going to the bathroom. Zim sank onto the end of the bed, drawing his knees up and hugging them as he kept playing through conversations in his head. As soon as Membrane came back, he would talk to him. It would be fine. Everything would be okay.

He was so lost in his thoughts he didn’t even hear the shower stop, and soon Membrane was opening the door and stepping inside. He stopped and gave Zim a concerned look. “Hey, are you okay?”

Zim quickly straightened, wiping his face off and realizing with mild distress that there were tears in his eyes. Oh no, how long have those been there? “What? Oh, yes, I’m fine!” he assured his partner.

Membrane sighed, seeming unsure. Zim swallowed as he watched him. The other had changed into a comfortable-looking turtleneck sweater, its sleeves rolled halfway up so his robotic arms and hands were visible. He had also switched out his goggles for a pair of glasses that Zim thought he looked quite good in, especially as they let Zim see his eyes.

After a few awkward seconds, Membrane went over to his bookshelf and browsed it, and Zim decided to just toss his boots off and get under the covers, fiddling with them as he waited for the right moment.

He was joined by his lover, who slipped in next to him and automatically held an arm out so Zim could lean into it. Zim glanced at him as he flipped the book open to a bookmarked page and got to reading. It was a recent release about the latest research done into dark matter, which despite its complexity Membrane had joked that it was just some light reading. It was obvious he wasn’t as interested in the book tonight though, as he only got through a few pages before just setting it down and looking over at Zim. “Sweetie?”

Zim wanted to bury himself in the covers. “Yes?”

“Earlier, I had asked you if you wanted to talk about anything. You said maybe later. So… are you ready to talk about it now? You’ve seemed distracted lately.”

“Ah, yes. Yes, there is something we need to talk about.” This was it. No more putting it off. Zim sat up a bit, turning to Membrane and taking his hand. “There’s something very important you need to know about me. I can’t hide it any longer!”

Membrane tilted his head. “What is it?”

“It’s…” Zim paused, then growled in frustration as he failed to find the right words. “Ugh, why is it so hard to say!”

Membrane grasped his shoulders, leaning in close. “My love. You don’t have to hide anything from me. Whatever this is, it’s clearly bothering you. Please tell me.”

Zim’s heart thudded and his cheeks grew hot. Membrane was the perfect partner, so considerate and gentle with him… why was he hesitating? Just say it!

Zim took a breath and grasped his wig. “I’ll just show you.” He slipped it off, raising his antennae to their normal position and giving them a few flicks as he got used to having them uncovered again. He tossed his wig onto the nightstand, and took both his contacts out, removing a case from his PAK to place them in. Once the case was safe on the nightstand as well, he raised his gaze to Membrane, who had watched silently. Zim spread his arms. “This is me. Zim, an irken from the planet Irk.”

Membrane still didn’t speak, but his stare was so intense that Zim almost wanted to get out of bed and back away. It didn’t seem angry, or hurt, just… focused.

Zim started to ask him if he was okay, but then Membrane grasped his face and pulled him close as he examined his eyes. Then he looked up at Zim’s antennae and raised a hand to feel one.

Zim winced as the metal of Membrane’s thumb dragged slightly against the sensitive stalk, moving a hand to the other’s wrist to encourage a gentler touch. He gave a little shiver, one that Membrane didn’t miss if the widening of his eyes was anything to go by.

“So this is part of you,” Membrane whispered. He proceeded more carefully now, and once he figured out how lightly he had to do it, his smooth fingers felt amazing slipping against the base of Zim’s antenna. “You can feel that.”

Zim purred, eyes drifting shut. “Oh yeah. I can feel it.”

“How about up here?” Membrane moved his fingers to the antenna tip, feeling along the soft fibers. But before he was able to learn much about it, it jerked away.

“Ah, sorry, the ends are really sensitive. They instinctively flinch away from touch,” Zim explained. “That’s where the main sensory nerves are.”

“Oh, I see.” Membrane dropped his hand, blinking and furrowing his brow as it really clicked into place. “So, you’re Zim. Dib’s friend from school. You were Zim all along.”

“Ehh I don’t know about _friend_…” Zim idly scrubbed the marker off his chin, though judging from Membrane’s mildly amused snort, he only succeeded in smearing it. “But you see? Dib was telling you the truth, I’m an alien.”

“I can’t deny it with the evidence right in front of me like this. But then… you’ve been lying to me all this time. You’re actually Zim, and you’re an alien, which means…” Membrane was quiet for a moment, then said, “You're the one that transported Earth through space and opened that anomaly. You almost got us all killed.”

“Yes, and I know what I did was incredibly stupid but-”

“You’re an invader trying to destroy our planet!”

“Yes, but-”

“I had convinced myself that everything that happened that day was just a head trauma-induced hallucination, but looking at you now, exactly as you were then…” Membrane clutched his temple. “I can’t just write it off. You did all that.” His eyes narrowed, voice dropping to a threatening growl. “You almost got my children killed.”

Zim gulped, crawling backward. “And it was a mistake, I was just so desperate to prove myself to my leaders, I didn’t…” He trailed off. Didn’t he tell himself he wouldn’t lie anymore? He groaned, covering his eyes as he tried not to cry. “Okay. Yes. I’m an alien Invader. I’m here to conquer Earth. And when I teleported Earth and opened the florpus, it was all to impress the Almighty Tallest, my leaders. I didn’t want to hide who I am from you anymore. So if…” Zim sniffed, choking up as he realized how badly he messed up. Membrane loved Earth and worked endlessly to protect it and make it better. There was no way he’d want to be with someone who nearly destroyed it. “If you want to hate me, want to leave me, I… I deserve it.” He couldn’t stop the tears from running down his face, and he turned away, unable to even look at the other. He should have just kept up the farce. Now he was going to lose the only person who ever cared about him.

Then he felt Membrane’s hand on his back and tensed. “Zim.”

Zim sighed, slowly turning to face him. He searched Membrane’s face and found that the other looked more sad than anything. Zim quirked an antenna but didn’t speak, not knowing what to say.

So Membrane said, “Why did you do all this? Disguising yourself, working in my lab… pursuing me? Was it all just a game to you?”

“No!” Zim said quickly. “No! At least… it stopped being a game.” He started to lean against him, then thought better of it. “At first, I only meant to use you to get to Dib. Dib’s been a thorn in my side since I got here, stopping my plans, fighting with me constantly.” He let out a dry chuckle. “You should be proud of your son, single-handedly holding off an alien invasion. Anyway. He’s my enemy and I was willing to do whatever I could to annoy him. I knew I could trick you into believing I was someone completely different from his classmate, so I did, luring you into a romantic relationship to upset him. And it worked!”

Disgust crossed Membrane’s face and he turned away, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

“But!” Zim shouted, reaching out to grab his arm. “It became more than that! You were so kind to me, so understanding when I did weird things the other employees at the lab didn’t, and you were always there to listen to me, and I just…” He took a breath, shaking slightly. “I truly liked being around you. It stopped being about annoying my enemy, I loved your company, and that day we first got intimate together… it was my first time experiencing that with anyone, you were so gentle and it felt so right and… when you said you loved me, I meant it when I said I love you too. I really did fall for you. And I want to be with you, truly, I want to be your partner, your mate, you’ve been wonderful to me and I don’t want to lose you.”

Membrane was quiet for a while. Then he sighed, resting his face in his hands. Zim carefully moved to sit next to him, resting an arm around him.

“So you do love me,” Membrane stated, lowering his hands.

Zim frowned when he saw that the other was crying, reaching up to gently brush the tears from his cheeks. “I do. I love you so much.”

“Is there anything else you’ve been lying to me about?”

Zim shook his head. “No, that was all. I’m sorry I was so selfish, I didn’t stop to think about how much this could hurt you, or well… I didn’t care, back then. It was just another plan. But you showed me the beauty of Earth. You made me care about humanity, and… I cared about you. And I realized I didn’t want to keep lying. Even if it hurt both of us, I needed to be honest. So. If you hate me… I understand. I just want to know now what you think we should do.”

Membrane sighed, looking away. “I think you should leave.”

It was like being stabbed in the heart. Zim’s antennae drooped, and he took a deep breath, before standing. “Okay. I’ll go.”

Each step away felt like his ankles were made of lead, but Zim forced himself to go pick up his boots and pull them on. He sniffed, rubbing angrily at his eyes and picking up his disguise.

He stared at the wig and contact case as he approached the door, feeling no desire to put any of it on. He stopped and looked back. Membrane’s back was to him, still sitting on the edge of the bed with his head down.

“I’m sorry. I never meant for things to go this far,” Zim said softly. He got no response, and sighed, looking forward. “I won’t be trying to conquer Earth anymore. My leaders are probably dead anyway. So you don’t have to worry about me.” He walked away, closing the door behind him.

He felt numb as he walked through the house, gripping the pieces of his disguise loosely at his sides. He paused in the living room, where Dib was watching some late night TV. The other glared at him, though his expression changed when he saw the lost look in Zim’s eyes.

“Zim?” he asked. “Did something happen? You’re out of disguise.”

Zim brushed his face off again, but it felt like the tears were finally drying. “Yeah. You don’t have to worry about me anymore. Your father knows who I am. And he wants nothing to do with me.”

“You actually told him? And he broke up with you?”

Zim nodded. “At least, I assume it was a breakup. He told me to leave. I… probably won’t be back. I was stupid to think he could ever love who I really am. Bye, Dib. Enjoy your family being back to normal.” He headed for the door, tossing it open and stepping out into the dark night.

For once, he had no plans. He was just empty. Without purpose. Membrane was better off without him. So he went home, completely lost as to what he was going to do now.


	2. Membrane's Answer

Zim’s phone was ringing. He ignored it, burying himself deeper into the blanket and keeping his eyes shut. Eventually the ringing stopped and he sighed, regretting buying that human-made garbage. He only had it for keeping in contact with Membrane, as he had learned that dating humans liked being able to text each other.

But Dib also had gotten his number, as had a few kids at school. And of course he had to deal with telemarketers. Maybe he should just throw the phone out.

A few minutes passed and then it began ringing again. He growled and sat up, swiping the phone from the table next to his bed. He saw that it was Dib. He smashed the ignore button and turned off the volume, tossing it back down and returning to his cocoon of blankets.

He hasn’t moved from this spot since he first came home after Membrane told him to leave. He had finished washing the marker off his chin, gone into his bedroom to lay down and cry… and had simply not gotten the will to crawl out of bed. It’s probably been three days now.

GIR had come to talk to him after one day, asking if he was sick. Zim had said yes but hadn’t gone into detail, just requesting to be left alone. GIR had obeyed for a while, but then returned the next day with soup and a get well card. The soup was inedible but Zim had left the card on the table. When GIR had returned for the bowl, Zim told him he was too sick to eat and just needed time to get better. GIR had sadly given him a can of his favorite soda and left. The soda remained on the table too.

Zim hasn’t seen him since, but wouldn’t be surprised if he came to check on him again. He pulled a pillow close to himself and groaned, burying his face into it and trying to fall asleep again.

He wasn’t even sure he could say he was sad right now, it just felt like there was nothing inside him. Except for when he thought about Membrane. Then it felt like molten lead was being poured down his throat and solidifying in the entirety of his squeedilyspooch. It was a deep, aching sort of pain, and he was doing the best he could to distance himself from it.

Part of him knew he shouldn’t be handling it this way. So what if the human he loved had rejected him? He was a trained irken invader and he wasn’t supposed to get emotionally attached anyway! It only made him vulnerable and now he was paying for it! So he needed to move on, pick himself up and forget the whole thing! But he didn’t want to forget. Membrane had made him so happy. He was the only person to praise Zim the way he did, who wanted to be around him and support him. And Membrane had even loved him! How could he just forget about how nice that felt?

But what could he do? Membrane didn’t want to see him. He had to hate him now. So Zim needed to find some way to move on from this. Find a new purpose in his life.

He pushed himself up again and reached for the phone, wiping dried tears off his face. He saw several missed calls, and his heart sped up when he realized the most recent was actually from Membrane. There were also all the texts he’s been ignoring.

He unlocked the phone with shaky fingers and first went to the message center. Both Dib and Membrane have been texting him, mostly with variations on ‘are you okay?’ and ‘please answer the phone.’ The most recent from Membrane was a series of increasingly concerned messages, first asking if they could talk about things, and then wondering if Zim was even seeing the texts, and finally saying he was going to come see him. That one was from mere minutes ago.

Zim bolted out of bed, looking down at his wrinkled uniform in horror, and hurrying to his closet to look for a fresh one. Then he remembered he had sworn off invading. There wasn’t a point to it anymore. So he didn’t need to wear this uniform.

He tossed everything off, and pulled on a comfortable red sweatshirt he had bought for a disguise once, along with blue pants that humans called ‘jeans’. They seemed very popular, and he understood once he put them on. They were a little loose around his legs but quite comfortable.

As he was trying to find decent shoes, Computer announced, “Your mate is at the door.”

“He’s not my mate,” Zim scowled. Just saying that felt like a knife had dug into his heart. “He rightfully wants nothing to do with me.”

“Apparently not, since he’s standing out there knocking right now.”

Zim sighed and just decided to go barefoot, jumping in an elevator and taking it up. He paced in small circles as it rose, wondering what Membrane wanted. Was he here to yell at him over lying to him? Was he going to drag him off and have him imprisoned for what he did to Earth months ago?

The elevator reached the living room and Zim slowly approached the door. He hesitated, not wanting to open it, not wanting to face whatever harsh words the other could have for him. But his desire to see his partner overpowered his fear, and he opened the door.

Membrane was in casual clothes, and Zim stared as he realized how unkempt he looked. Messy strands of hair stuck out from his head, his facial hair was untrimmed, and there were dark bags under his eyes much like those Dib was prone to.

“Zim.” Membrane swallowed, looking him over, and Zim was surprised to see his eyes water. “Thank goodness, you haven’t come to work or gone to school in three days, no one has seen you, and when you didn’t answer any calls I thought… I thought you might have…” He trailed off, and the look in his eyes said it all.

Zim felt cold. “You thought I might have killed myself.”

Membrane nodded. “Yes. I’m so relieved you’re still here. You’re okay. But please… can we talk?”

Zim took a breath. Just looking at Membrane reminded him of how much he still loved him. And the pure pain on the other’s face made him wonder if perhaps he still loved him too. He agreed, standing aside to invite him in.

They went to sit on the couch, and Membrane said, “When I told you to leave, did you think I never wanted to see you again?”

“That’s what I figured, yes,” Zim replied. “Why would you want to be near the monster who has harmed so many people and nearly destroyed Earth? You deserve better than me.”

“I won’t say it didn’t hurt when you told me who you were. Finding out you’re the person who has caused Dib so much distress… who has done so much damage to the planet, the planet I’ve sworn to protect and improve… it was a serious revelation. I didn’t know what to say to you. So I told you to leave, so I could sort out my feelings before I lashed out at you. Zim.” Membrane turned to him, reaching out to cup Zim’s face. Zim couldn’t help leaning into that familiar, warm metal hand. Just that small touch brought tears to his eyes. “I didn’t mean I never wanted to see you. I just had to figure things out. I love you.”

The tears spilled over and Zim nearly choked up. “But why? Why do I deserve your love? I’m horrible!”

“You’ve done horrible things. But I don’t want to believe you’re horrible. You’ve done such great things at the lab, you’ve helped humanity! You’re so kind to me, we’ve had amazing discussions, and you treat me so well… I want to be with you. And well, you said you were giving up invading, right? In that case…” Membrane reached down to hold Zim’s hand. “You can make up for all those things you’ve done. Keep working at the lab. Do good things for Earth. You can have a home here. And, if you’ll have me… we can have a home together.”

Zim stared, antennae going up. “Are… are you sure? You still want me?”

“I do. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, I just want you to be okay, and for us to get through this as a couple. But you have to promise me something.”

“Of course. What?”

Membrane’s expression grew serious. “First, you need to apologize to my son for the way you’ve treated him. Using me to get to him was a disgusting thing to do, no matter how serious you became about our relationship later. So apologize to him. And next, that you will truly give up invading like you said you will. No more trying to conquer Earth. Because I won’t go down without a fight. And you know that.”

Zim gave him a nervous look. “Y-yes. I know.”

“So promise you’ll change for the better. Promise you won’t harm this world or its people ever again.”

“I promise,” Zim swore, clutching his hands tight. “I’ll make things right with Dib, and I’m giving up on my mission. It’s something I’ve struggled with anyway, I just can’t do lasting harm here and my Tallest don’t want the planet, I kept telling myself I’d make them want it, but…” He sighed, wiping his face off. “I’m so tired. Tired of doing something I was never supposed to do anyway.” He shuffled forward, giving Membrane’s chest a longing look, and the other gathered him into his arms and hugged him close.

Zim sighed, draping his arms around him and nuzzling against his shirt, inhaling his comfortable, familiar scent.

“If I may ask, what sort of training were you put through in preparation for this? What exactly was your role in your society?”

Zim took a steadying breath and began telling Membrane about how he grew up. He didn’t leave anything out, telling him about what he was trained to do and what the punishments were for those who failed their tests or dared to question things. He told him how most irken smeets are designed for a certain purpose and are programmed to want to do it the moment their PAKs go on, and they get no choice in the matter. If they manage to think for themselves and refuse to comply with their purpose, they’re punished severely and usually killed. Every irken is seen as replaceable. They’re all just disposable parts in the bigger machine of the Empire.

Zim told Membrane how he struggled with his training, as he was short and often impulsive, taking risks that led to harm coming to himself and his teammates, and often destroying valuable assets in the process. It was only his quick thinking and clever tongue that let him negotiate his way out of execution on several occasions. Yet he still got in trouble. He told Membrane about his brief job as a scientist on Vort, how much he had loved it, until one of his experiments accidentally killed Tallest Miyuki and caused damage to the lab, and he was pulled out and sent back into military training. Which he excelled at, as by that point he knew he had to be the absolute best at whatever he did to avoid being declared defective and executed. He was at a briefing for Invader recruits when his experiment came back and ate Miyuki’s successor, Spork. Even later, he desperately tried to get a role in Operation Impending Doom 1, wanting to prove himself a loyal soldier of Irk that only wanted to expand the empire. He was refused, instead being made to wait in a circle while everyone else got assignments, and in a fit that he could now only describe as a tantrum, he had gone to steal a mecha and used it to showcase his destructive capabilities. Understandably, this led to him being put on trial by Red and Purple and reassigned as a food service drone.

Zim talked briefly about how much the job had sucked, and how he was stuck there for years until he got notice that Operation Impending Doom 2 was beginning. Refusing to miss a chance to prove himself as an Invader, and also refusing to believe the control brains had intended he stay on Foodcourtia, he had raced to Conventia, where the Tallest gave him a mystery planet. The planet turned out to be Earth, and Zim has been trying to take over it ever since.

It took him a couple hours to go through all this. His life was long and troubled, and Membrane occasionally asked questions, but most just listened and gave him sympathetic replies. Finally, Zim had said all he could and fell silent. For a while, Membrane just held him, thinking about everything he had just heard.

Then he sighed, and hugged Zim tighter, pressing a small kiss to his cheek. “I’m sorry you went through all that. You were pushed by your society to do all these things… and in the end, none of them even appreciated you. I understand why you worked so hard to try and impress your leaders. All you’ve ever wanted is positive reinforcement, isn’t it?”

Zim nodded. “I just wanted to be loved. By someone, anyone. I just wanted to know I was doing a good job. But for irkens… mistakes are unacceptable. I was… punished often. So I had to stop making mistakes. Even if it meant I stepped all over others, I had to stay on top. That was the only way for me to succeed. As you can tell…” Zim let out a laugh, even as tears flowed down his cheeks. “It messed me up. It really messed me up. I made myself believe I was great, that I could do no wrong, and those who didn’t like me were just idiots. I told myself that my superiors did like me, of course they did, why wouldn’t they? And I convinced myself this was a real mission and not just an exile, because if I was exiled, what was the point of living? I just.” He flopped against Membrane, feeling weak after talking about all this for so long. “I was broken by my upbringing, and all I could do was glue myself back together and tell myself I was never broken in the first place. Otherwise… I would just go crazy from the stress. I know all this in no way forgives what I’ve done here, but… it’s why I did all of it. I just wanted to have worth to the empire that made me. But I’ve finally accepted that they don’t want me. So I’ll at least do that for them. I’ll accept my banishment and never go back.”

“I can’t imagine how hard this has been for you. I could never imagine the pain you must have gone through. But Zim?”

Zim looked up at him through blurry vision, and rubbed his eyes off. “Yeah?”

“You are a survivor. You got through all of that, and look at you now. You’re strong. You’re smart. And even though they tried to teach you not to care about others… you have so much love to give. And I want you to love. Because I love you.”

A grin crossed Zim’s face and he took Membrane’s hands. “I love you too. And I want to be someone who truly deserves your love. Because you’re wonderful.”

“You do deserve love,” Membrane said. “I want to help you work through all the trauma from your past. You can heal from this. I know you can.”

“It might take a while to undo all that programming,” Zim pointed out.

“That’s okay. We’ll work through it together. You’ve already come so far just talking to me about it. Thank you for sharing this with me.”

“No problem.” It felt like a huge burden had lifted from Zim’s shoulders. He smiled at the other, leaning up to peck his cheek. “Thank you for staying with me. I’ll make it up to you. I’ll do good things for Earth. And I’ll apologize to Dib.”

“That’s really all I can ask.” Membrane held him close, and for a while they just sat together, Zim enjoying his partner’s warm embrace.

Then he heard an elevator rising, and the familiar clatter of GIR’s feet as he came into the room. He let out a gasp when he saw Zim and Membrane. “Master! You’re not sick anymore!”

Zim chuckled and looked over at him. GIR wasn’t in his disguise, but he didn’t seem to care to put it on despite Membrane being there. “Heh. Yeah, I’m all better now. GIR, you know Professor Membrane, right?”

GIR nodded happily. “Uh-huh! He’s really smart and has cool shows and also you bonked him on the head and sent him to space prison that one time!”

Zim sighed and Membrane gave his head a small rub as he remembered. “Yeah, GIR. Him. Well, he’s my partner and we were just talking some things out.”

“Okay! You want soda?”

Zim’s stomach growled and he chuckled, rubbing it. “Actually, I could go for some food.” He looked up at Membrane. “Would you like to go out to eat?”

“Sure.” Membrane stood, holding out a hand to help Zim up. “Where would you like to go?”

“I dunno, we can figure it out on the way. But oh, let me put on some shoes.” Zim asked him to wait and quickly took an elevator back down, returning to his room and finally finding some non-military shoes to pull on. Once fully dressed, he went back upstairs to join his boyfriend. “Okay, let’s go! GIR, you know the drill, watch the house.”

“Okay!”

Zim walked outside with Membrane, who said, “He seems like a sweet little robot.”

“He is. He’s very odd, but nice.”

“Are you not going to disguise yourself?”

“Nah. Everyone saw me when I teleported Earth, no point in hiding it now. People will probably just think I’m a weird cosplayer or something anyway.”

“Okay then. Well, let’s go into town and see what we can find.” Membrane unlocked his car and went around to the driver’s seat.

Zim hopped into the passenger seat, smiling as he buckled up. It may have been a painful conversation, but he was so glad things were alright between him and Membrane now. He was going to keep being honest with him, and hopefully their relationship stayed strong. Because after the way Membrane comforted and understood him earlier, he never wanted anyone else.


End file.
